Dietitian offers advice on choosing healthy peanut butter options

Non-profit

Bob Sehring, CEO | OSF HealthCare, Innovation & Digital Health, IL

Peanut butter is a common item in many households, but with numerous varieties available, consumers may wonder which option is healthiest and how best to include it in their diets.

Carly Zimmer, a registered dietitian-nutritionist at OSF HealthCare, explains that peanut butter is primarily made from dry roasted peanuts that are ground up. Some brands add sugar, salt, or oil.

“It’s a protein and a fat,” Zimmer says. “Mostly, it’s a heart-healthy fat. It’s a lot of monounsaturated fat, which can lower LDL cholesterol, which is the bad cholesterol, and increase HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol.” She adds that the protein content helps keep people full.

Peanut butter also provides vitamin E—important for im